palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈme-(ˌ)tō 

 also  pä-,

päl-,

pȯ-,

pȯl-

plural palmettos or palmettoes

1

: any of several usually low-growing fan-leaved palms

especially : cabbage palmetto

2

: strips of the leaf blade of a palmetto used in weaving

Illustration of palmetto

• palmetto 1

Examples of palmetto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Explore Fort Moultrie Still under construction as the Revolutionary War began, this coastal garrison (the island’s first) was notably built from palmetto logs and sand. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2025

While many artists in the Gullah Geechee tradition specialize in the painting of silhouettes, faces are central to Farris’s imagery, as are emblems of life in the Lowcountry, such as palmetto trees, blue herons, and sweetgrass. —Tayari Jones, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025

This antioxidant-rich cocktail of biotin, pro-vitamin B5, coconut oil, and extracts from saw palmetto berries and loquat fruit not only plumps strands with moisture for a thicker hair look but promotes shine and glossiness, creating a more reflective finish. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Feb. 2025

South Carolina islands have palmetto trees growing alongside ferns and pine trees. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

modification of Spanish palmito, from palma palm, from Latin

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing palmetto

• cabbage palmetto
• palmetto bass
• palmetto bug
• saw palmetto

Rhymes for palmetto

• hereto
• libretto
• magneto
• stiletto
• whereto
• allegretto
• lazaretto
• ghetto
• seto

Kids Definition

palmetto

noun

pal·​met·​to pal-ˈmet-ō 

plural palmettos or palmettoes

: any of several usually low-growing palms with fan-shaped leaves